Tag Archive | wildfire
September 15, 2015  

Intense Wildfire Escape Caught on Video

The “Valley Fire” in Lake County, California, northwest of Sacramento started as a 50-acre blaze on Saturday afternoon, growing steadily to a 50,000-acre inferno by Sunday night. A resident of the area recorded his escape from the inferno. The footage is intense:

The video was taken at 8:30 PM on Saturday night (9/12/15) on the way out of Anderson Springs, and really speaks for itself. This person was lucky to have gotten out alive.

-JK

August 26, 2013  

Video From Cockpit of A plane Fighting the Rim Fire in Yosemite

Look at this unreal footage of the Rim Fire in Yosemite, California, taken from the cockpit of an Air National Guard plane:

Hot and dry weather conditions are well-known risk factors for forest fires. A majority of the forest fires are caused by a combination of these conditions and careless human activity. 

Officials expect some regions of the country like California to be at a higher risk for forest fires than usual due to low moisture and rising temperatures.

Here are some tips to keep top of mind when choosing a site to start a fire:

  • Check to see if open fires are allowed in your area.
  • Choose an area with an abundance of rocks and sand and little vegetation.
  • Do not start a fire underneath low hanging branches or nearby bushes.
  • Have plenty of water nearby in case the fire gets out of hand.
  • Keep the fire small.
  • Never wander away from a fire; it should be watched and kept under control at all times.

-JK

August 21, 2013  

Aerial Firefighting

This is a pretty cool video of a helicopter maneuvering in someone’s backyard to scoop up water from a pool to help fight a wildfire.

Planes and helicopters are critical tools in managing wildfires, particularly in California where we face wildfires annually. Although aircraft are often used to fight wildfires, aircraft alone cannot put them out. Firefighters rely on planes and helicopters to:

  • Deliver equipment and supplies.
  • Deploy smokejumpers and rappellers to a fire.
  • Transport firefighters.
  • Provide reconnaissance of new fires, fire locations, and fire behavior.
  • Drop fire-retardant or water to slow down a fire so firefighters can contain it.
  • Ignite prescribed fires

Thanks to all our fire service personnel who help protect us when we need it. We are grateful to have them.

Source: US Fire Service

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